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Yikes. NC State has fallen to 1-3 in ACC play after their loss to Boston College on Wednesday night.

If you listen to social media or message boards, then you’re left to believe that Gottfried is on his way out, this team has no chance and the season might as well be over. If you listen to Gottfried and his players, the narrative is quite different. The team improved. According to the coaches, NC State got a little bit better despite the loss because they fought through adversity and showed more will and want-to.

The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. NC State did do some things better in this game. The defensive pressure for most of the game was good. The hustle was there, however, communication on defense still left a lot to be desired. Offensively, NC State did do a better job of running the sets and getting good looks early on, but reverted to one on one play later in the ball game.

Gottfried is still tinkering with his lineups as well. Markell Johnson may have earned himself some minutes last night as he showed that he can coexist with Smith on the floor. This left Torin Dorn getting only 2 minutes in the 2nd half. Dorn has seemingly fallen in love with the jumper and it has ended up hurting his efficiency and scoring ability.

State also struggled in the paint. Yurtseven is simply not ready for ACC basketball. As harsh as it may seem, he is just too weak right now. He is getting pushed around and has shown very little aggressiveness or confidence over the conference season. Anya played well, but when he is on the floor the team is slower and more stagnant, at times they have to pull the ball back and wait for him to get down the court. Abu has bee good but he still has not shown the dominance he has flashed in the past. Kapita is still raw, and while he certainly works hard and is aggressive, he sometimes gets lost on both offense and defense.

So what do you make of this? Well, it’s hard to tell. Some of the blame certainly falls on Gottfried and company. This team is young, but mentally they are unprepared. This team has a ton of talent, but they seem to be lost as to what they are supposed to do with it. But, some of it still sits on the players. At the end of the day, these are guys who have the skills, yet mental mistakes, poor shots and lack of focus lead to them not getting everything they could out of themselves.

This season is far from over. The Pack obviously is not ready to compete on the road in this league quite yet. The good news is that with every game they grow up a little and the next 3 games are at home. This three-game stretch will probably be this team’s make or break time. If they come out 2-1 or better, then they are still in position to make a move. Lose 2 of the 3 or all 3 and it will be a very tough climb back into contention.

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yakima2k
yakima2k
7 years ago

We’re deep this year – how come we never press? We’ve got more shooters than ever – how come we never go small? I”m behind this team and Gott through the end of the season, but the kids need to get more dialed in and we need to start doing some things to make our opponents uncomfortable.

1
RIZ DOLLA
RIZ DOLLA
7 years ago
Reply to  yakima2k

Well said..

0
yakima2k
yakima2k
7 years ago

Gott’s certainly frustrated, but they don’t seem to be doing anything different. It’s just more of the same and a hope that the kids start doing it better. If we just keep putting Abu in the high post he’ll become a better passer. If we just keep playing straight man they’ll start defending better. Square pegs and a round hole.

1
wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago

If that was improvement, maybe we should schedule some high schools around Raleigh. We might show much greater improvement then. Just try something different, I would start with defense or is that a bad word for Gott.

0
RIZ DOLLA
RIZ DOLLA
7 years ago
Reply to  wolfpack74

Are you trying to make us look even worse!!! lol

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yakima2k
yakima2k
7 years ago

Last night didn’t look like much improvement to me. Continued lackadaisical passing, especially in the second half, leading to crushing turnovers. The team is playing with very little focus, and there doesn’t seem to be much creativity in solving the problems. Road wins are always hard to come by, but this BC team is not very good and we should not have lost.

4
RIZ DOLLA
RIZ DOLLA
7 years ago
Reply to  yakima2k

Coaching…… Point Blank Period.. Move Butch Pierre to the head coach he has experience. Im sure he cant do any worse that Mark

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NC State Basketball

Guard Mike O’Connell Announces He Will Play His Final Year of Eligibility at NC State

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4 hours ago

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May 1, 2024

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Guard Michael O’Connell announced today that he will be playing his final year of eligibility at NC State next season.

 

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Today was the final day graduate players could enter the Portal.

This past season, O’Connell averaged 5.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Wolfpack, starting 22 of the 41 games he played in.

O’Connell took over as NC State’s starting Point Guard on January 30th in a win against Miami.

He only scored in double figures in 9 of his 41 games this season, but 6 of those came in postseason play (5 in the ACC Tournament). O’Connell took things to another level in the ACC Tournament, playing aggressive on the offensive end, looking for his shot, and attacking the rim.

NC State played it’s best basketball of the season when O’Connell was running the show. He ranked 3rd in the ACC in Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.5).

Heading into next season, with a lineup filled with new faces, having the calming presence of a veteran leader like O’Connell is reassuring.

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NC State Basketball

ECU Transfer Forward Ezra Ausar to NC State is Trending Up

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16 hours ago

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May 1, 2024

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ECU Transfer Power Forward Ezra Ausar (6’9″/240) was on an Official Visit to NC State yesterday, and according to analysts at ON3 and 247Sports, things are trending in the right direction for the Wolfpack.

Jamie Shaw of ON3 submitted a prediction for Ausar to eventually commit to NC State yesterday morning.

Cory Smith of 247Sports submitted a crystal ball projection for Ausar to run with the Wolfpack this morning.

Ausar just wrapped up his Sophomore season in Greenville, averaging 11.4 points and 4.7 rebounds, shooting 51.4% from the field. As a Freshman, he was named to the AAC All-Freshman Team, averaging 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Ausar is a consensus 4-Star prospect in the Transfer Portal, and ON3 ranks him as the #60 overall player in the Portal and the #10 Power Forward.

Originally from Atlanta, Ausar played his Senior Season of High School at Liberty Heights Athletic Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina. ON3 ranked Ausar as a 4-Star prospect coming out of high school, the #94 overall player nationally, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina.

Ausar has visited Seton Hall, Georgia Tech, met over Zoom with Georgetown, and had an in-home visit with Utah. John Calipari and his staff at Arkansas have been in touch with Ausar, as well as Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Arizona State, West Virginia, Iowa State and St. John’s. (Link)

At this point, it’s good news that Ausar has no visits scheduled after the visit to NC State.

Ausar has 2 years of eligibility remaining, and NC State currently has 1 scholarship remaining.

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NC State Basketball

NC State Signee Zamareya Jones Showed Out in the McDonald’s & Jordan All-American Games

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17 hours ago

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May 1, 2024

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NC State 2024 signee Zamareya Jones has played in the McDonald’s All-American game and the Jordan Brand Classic over the past month.

In the McDonald’s game on April 2nd, Jones had 13 points, helping her East squad defeat the West.

 

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In the Jordan Brand Classic on April 21st, Jones had 15 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. She also hit the game winner for Team Flight.

Jones is a 5-star prospect in the Wolfpack’s 2024 recruiting class, ranked 21st overall nationally by ESPN.

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Kevin Keatts and DJ Burns Sounded the Siren at the Canes Game Tonight

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1 day ago

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April 30, 2024

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NC State Head Coach Kevin Keatts and the beloved DJ Burns were both Siren Sounders for the Canes this evening, with Carolina defeating the Islanders 6-3, winning the Round 1 series 4-1.

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